Campanula plant named ‘Camp Trailbule’

ABSTRACT

A new  campanula  plant particularly distinguished by large, wide open, blue-violet, star-shaped flowers, medium-green foliage with somewhat fleshy, cordate leaves, good-branching ability, compact, spreading to prostrate and somewhat trailing plant habit, is disclosed.

Genus and species: Campanula hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘Camp Trailbule’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar ofcampanula, botanically known as Campanula hybrid, and hereinafterreferred to by the cultivar name ‘Camp Trailbule’. The new cultivaroriginated from a hybridization made in February 1999 in Andijk, TheNetherlands. The female parent was ‘CD-20-1’, a proprietary (unpatented)blue-flowered Campanula isophylla plant, while the male parent was‘CH-60-5’, a proprietary (unpatented) blue-flowered Campanula fragilisplant. The seeds produced by the hybridization were shown in August1999, and the resulting seedlings were selected in January 2000. Asingle plant selection was chosen for further evaluation and for asexualpropagation in 2000.

The new cultivar was created in 1999 in Andijk, The Netherlands and hasbeen asexually reproduced repeatedly by vegetative cuttings and tissueculture in Andijk, The Netherlands over a five-year period. ‘CampTrailbule’ has also been trialed at Hillscheid, Germany. The presentinvention has been found to retain its distinctive characteristicsthrough successive asexual propagations.

Plant Breeder's Rights for this cultivar were applied for in Canada onMar. 21, 2006 and with the European Union on Jan. 24, 2005.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishingcharacteristics of this new cultivar when grown under normalhorticultural practices in Andijk, The Netherlands and Hillscheid,Germany.

-   -   1. Large, wide-open, blue-violet, star-shaped flowers;    -   2. Medium-green foliage with somewhat fleshy, cordate leaves;    -   3. Good branching ability;    -   4. Relatively compact and tight growth; and    -   5. A spreading to prostrate and somewhat trailing plant habit.

DESCRIPTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS

This new campanula plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographswhich show overall plant habit including blooms, buds, and foliage ofthe plant; the colors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtained byconventional photographic procedures. The photographs are of 7-month-oldplants grown in a greenhouse in Andijk, The Netherlands in May 2003.

FIG. 1 shows the overall plant habit, including blooms, buds, foliageand plant habit.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the mature inflorescences.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The following detailed description sets forth the distinctivecharacteristics of ‘Camp Trailbule’. The data which define thesecharacteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out inAndijk, The Netherlands. The plant history was taken partly on 5-weekold plants, still in a vegetative state and grown in Hillscheid, Germanyin the spring of 2006. Rooted cuttings were planted in 10.5-cm pots andgrown in a greenhouse. The plants were not pinched. Flower observationswere made on 35-week-old plants in fall of 2005. Color readings weretaken under natural light. Color references are primarily to The R.H.S.Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London (R.H.S.)(2001).

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

-   Classification:    -   -   Family.—Campanulaceae.        -   Botanical.—Campanula hybrid.        -   Common name.—Bellflower.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—‘CD-20-1’, a proprietary (unpatented)            blue-flowered Campanula isophylla plant.        -   Male parent.—‘CH-60-5’, a proprietary (unpatented)            blue-flowered Campanula fragilis plant.-   Growth:    -   -   Form.—Herbaceous perennial; for commercial purposes the            variety can be cultivated as an annual.        -   Habit.—Initially spreading, later decumbent and somewhat            trailing plant habit, well-branching; pinching results in a            more even plant habit.        -   Height (measured from the top of the soil).—8 cm.        -   Width (horizontal plant diameter).—12 cm.        -   Propagation.—Terminal tips for cutting.        -   Time to produce a finished flowering plant.—13 to 15 weeks            for a 10 cm to 12 cm pot.        -   Outdoor plant performance.—As flowering pot plants, for            small hanging-baskets.        -   Time to initiate and develop roots.—25 days.        -   Root description.—Fibrous, fine and cream-white.-   Stems:    -   -   Average number (per plant).—8 to 12.        -   Length.—6 cm to 8 cm.        -   Diameter (at midpoint).—0.3 cm to 0.4 cm.        -   Internode length.—0.5 cm to 1.2 cm.        -   Color.—RHS 137D to RHS 138A (green).        -   Anthocyanin.—None.        -   Texture.—Dense pubescence.-   Leaves:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate.        -   Size.—Length: Up to 3.0 cm. Width: 2.8 cm. Shape: Mostly            cordate, smaller, leaves at flowering stems may be ovate or            even lanceolate.        -   Margin.—Serrated or with few notches.        -   Apex.—Obtuse to rounded.        -   Base.—Cordate.        -   Color.—Immature leaves: Upper surface: RHS 143A. Lower            surface: RHS 143B. Mature leaves: Upper surface: RHS 137A.            Lower surface: RHS 138A.        -   Texture.—Velvety, with fine pubescence on the upper surface            and bristle-like hair on the veins of the lower surface and            along the margins.        -   Venation.—Pinnate.        -   Venation color.—RHS 145A.        -   Petioles.—Length: 0.5 cm to 2.5 cm. Width: 1.0 cm to 1.5 cm.            Color: RHS 137C. Texture: Covered with dense pubescence.-   Flower bud:    -   -   Shape.—Narrow and oval (elongated) with furrows.        -   Size.—Length: 1.5 cm. Diameter: 0.7 cm.        -   Color at tight bud.—RHS 85B to RHS 85D (light-blue) and RHS            145C (pale-green).-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Blooming habit.—Continuous under long-day conditions.        -   Inflorescence type.—Terminal, bending and decumbent.        -   Number of flowers per inflorescence.—About 7 to 10 flowers            and buds.        -   Lastingness of individual blooms on the plant.—About 14            days.        -   Fragrance.—None.        -   Length.—5.5 cm to 6.5 cm.        -   Diameter.—Up to 4.0 cm.        -   Peduncle.—Length: 5.0 cm. Diameter: 0.2 cm. Color: RHS 138A.            Texture: Dense pubescence.        -   Pedicels.—Length: 0.5 cm to 1.0 cm. Diameter: 0.1 cm. Color:            RHS 143B (green). Anthocyanin: None. Texture: Appears            smooth, nearly glabrous.-   Flowers:    -   -   Flower type.—Single, actinomorphic; campanulate.        -   Corolla.—Shape: Round, wide open cup-shape; composed of 5            petals partly fused with lobes opening outward. Size:            Diameter: 3.5 cm to 4.3 cm. Depth: 0.8 cm. Color: Upper            surface: RHS N87B at the lobes and somewhat paler blue in            the middle of the flower. Lower surface: RHS 85B. Inside:            RHS 85B.        -   Petals.—Shape: Ovate. Size: Length: 1.4 cm. Width: 1.2 cm.            Quantity: 5. Apex: Acute to obtuse. Base: Fused. Margin:            Entire. Texture: Smooth, glabrous, apart from a few hairs at            the tip of lower surface.        -   Calyx.—Composed of 5 sepals fused at the base.        -   Sepals.—Number: 5. Color: Upper surface: RHS 137A            (deep-green). Lower surface: RHS 137C. Length: 0.9 cm.            Width: 0.3 cm. Shape: Lanceolate, initially horizontal,            later downwards directed. Apex: Acute. Base: Fused. Margin:            Entire. Texture: Short pubescence mostly at the margins.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Stamens.—Quantity: 5, with the bases coherent, enclosing the            upper part of the ovary. Filament color: RHS N155A. Filament            length: 0.5 cm. Filament diameter: 0.3 cm at the base and            0.1 cm below the stamen. Anther color: RHS 163B (ochre).            Anther size: Length: 0.4 cm. Diameter: 0.1 cm. Pollen color:            RHS 162B (yellowish). Pollen amount: Sparse.        -   Pistil.—Quantity: 1. Length: 1.4 cm. Stigma color: RHS 157D.            Stigma shape: 3-lobed with brush-like-arranged hair below            the stigma. Style color: Upper part: RHS 91A (light-blue).            Base: RHS N155A (white). Style length: 1.1 cm.        -   Ovary.—Type: Intermediate position. Shape: Oval to nearly            round. Length: 0.4 cm. Diameter: 0.3 cm to 0.4 cm. Color:            RHS 145A (pale-green).-   Fruit and seed set: None observed.-   Disease and insect resistance: No special observations made.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTAL AND COMMERCIAL CULTIVARS

‘Camp Trailbule’ differs from the female parent ‘CD-20-1’ (unpatented)in that ‘Camp Trailbule’ has smaller, lighter blue flowers and a moretrailing plant habit than ‘CD-20-1’.

‘Camp Trailbule’ differs from the male parent ‘CH-60-5’ (unpatented) inthat ‘Camp Trailbule’ has larger, deeper blue flowers than ‘CH-60-5’.Additionally, ‘Camp Trailbule’ has a more trailing plant habit, while‘CH-60-5’ has a mounding plant habit.

‘Camp Trailbule’ does not match any commercial variety but differs fromCampanula portenschlagiana Schult., a trailing species, in that ‘CampTrailbule’ has larger, deeper blue flowers and a more vigorous growthhabit than Campanula portenschlagiana Schult.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of campanula plant as shown and describedherein.